'Fight, Zatoichi, Fight!' (1964) marks the eighth film in Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi film franchise, the second of which to be directed by Kenji Misumi, but too, it marks the first time that the audience is presented with a more layered and innately conflicted portrayal of the blind swordsman.
Kenji Misumi is no stranger to directing Shintaro Katsu's famous protagonist. Zatoichi's screen debut was in Misumi's 'Tale of Zatoichi' in 1962. Just two years later and Katsu and Misumi are collaborating again for the film series' eighth instalment. However, 'Fight, Zatoichi, Fight''s script; by Seiji Hoshikawa, Kan Shimozawa and Tesuro Yoshido, offers audiences a much richer story than its seven predecessors.
While the Zatoichi film series instalments are invariably defined by Zatoichi having to rid a town of Yakuza, the eighth instalment offers an entirely more nuanced approach to the chanbara formula that fans have become so accustomed to, and fond of. 'Fight, Zatoichi, Fight' sees Japan's most notorious anma become embroiled in ensuring that a small child is safely reunited with its kin. Although this may seem a simple premise on the surface, the rich visuals Misumi brings to the screen through a surprisingly powerful script; in conjunction with Katsu's compelling performance, and augmented by a masterful score from Akira Ifukube, marinates together to create a delicious feast for the senses, and ostensibly the most memorable Zatoichi exploit.
Audiences have revelled in seeing Zatoichi single-handedly decimate entire Yakuza clans, and while such martial feats are entertaining and utterly expected of a chanbara jidaigeki (sword-fighting Japanese period drama), the repeated feats of Zatoichi can sometimes lack what 'Fight, Zatoichi, Fight' brings to the screen - vulnerability. The inner conflict conveyed by each: the story, the score and Shintaro Katsu, is what sets this film apart. Ifukube's master stroke of echoing a diegetic lullaby in the film's score, thrusts the audience into the emotion of the very heart and soul of what drives our protagonist in his quest to nurse and protect his newfound charge; a small child - inner conflict.
Zatoichi's questioning of his use of violence brought about by his evolving relationship with the child, sets a very different tone to the film in both style and theme. So profound a theme that one can see this echoed in later titles from Japan to Hollywood, such as 'Zatoichi Challenged' (1967), the 'Lone Wolf & Cub' film series (1972-1974), 'Leon: The Professional' (1994), 'Star Wars: Rebels' television series (2014-2018), 'The Mandalorian' television series (2020-2021), and 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch' (2021) to name but a few.
It is through creating vulnerability in the seemingly unstoppable protagonist that this film creates catharsis between audience and subject. While Zatoichi himself is nigh invincible due to his skill with a blade and his honed senses, those which he cares about are not only defenceless, but so too are they impressionable. In the same way that Zatoichi must protect the child from the perils of a dangerous and Yakuza infested land, he too is forced to consider what danger his way of life brings upon the head of the child which he has vowed to protect. Such is the double-edged blade of Zatoichi's shikomizue.
If you can not commit yourself to watch all 26 of Shintaro Katsu's film outings as Zatoichi, do yourself a favour, and try this one. It's as surprisingly tender as one of Ichi's massages, but it cuts as deep as a katana.
